The present invention relates to food supplements, such for example, snack bars and beverages which are fortified with one or more cartilage supplements.
Nutritional bars and energy drinks are convenient nutritional supplements, particularly for those persons too busy to eat regular meals and for hikers, cyclists, runners or other athletes who need prepackaged, ready-to-eat, high-energy snacks while they are exercising. Such bars and drinks are also convenient nutritional supplements for the elderly who need prepackaged, ready-to-eat snacks. Additionally, such food supplements can supply consumers with the necessary vitamins and minerals specified in the recommended daily allowances provided by the U.S. government.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,262 discloses a high protein, low or no lactose, vitamin and mineral fortified, nutritionally-balanced snack bar. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,819 teaches a protein-fortified food bar composed of several baked crisp wafers layered on top of the other with a creamy filling between them. The creamy filling contains added vitamins, providing twenty-five percent (25%) of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals. U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,462 teaches a highly nutritious protein and vitamin enriched food bar, having a marshmallow base. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,799 discloses a high protein chocolate bar. Caseinate and peanut butter are added to a mixture of chocolate and cocoa butter. Vitamins compatible with the ingredients, it is disclosed, can be added to the snack bar.
Drinks formulations and methods for preparing them have also been developed. Energy enhancement drinks and processes have been developed such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,148, which relates to nutritional and exercise therapy to maximize the storage of glycogen in muscle tissue. Protein fortification drinks have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,417. Finally, carbohydrate and electrolyte drinks have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,856 and 4,322,407.
It has been long recognized that dietary cartilage supplements are effective in reducing the symptoms of joint pain. (Drovani, Clinical Therapeutics, (1980)). An amino-acid complex combining glutamine with glucosamine sulfate is the constituent component used by the body to make cartilage and connective tissue, which cushion and lubricate the joints in the body. To date, more than 6,000 patients have been studied in 20 clinical trials. These studies have all reached the conclusion that glucosamine sulfate supplements relieve pain and stimulate healing in osteoarthritis patients. In fact, the World Health Organization has officially classified glucosamine sulfate as a slow-acting drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Typically, glucosamine sulfate is taken in the form of a pill or a powder.
Chondroitin sulfate is another compound widely sold as an agent for the treatment of the symptoms of joint pain. Its healing properties as a dietary supplement, however, while still effective, have proven in two studies to be lower than the healing properties of glucosamine sulfate. Chondroitin sulfate is also taken in the form of a pill or a powder.
Hyaluronic acid is a polysaccharide which forms a major component of the gel-like substance found in the connective tissue of mammals. Structurally, it is comprised of a repeating disaccharide consisting of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid. Functionally, it serves as a lubricant and shock absorbent in mammalian joints. Hyaluronic acid is also taken in the form of a pill or a powder and is thought to be effective for the treatment of joint pain.
Cetyl myristoleate (CM) is a newly recognized agent-that is potentially useful for the treatment of joint pain. CM is an ester of a fatty acid, the building blocks of fats and oils. CM is produced by combining the fatty acid myristolic acid with cetyl alcohol, a long-chain alcohol. CM appears to function in three ways in the body. First, it shows an anti-inflammatory effect. Second, it appears to act as a lubricant for joints. Third, CM functions as an immune system modulator.
Doctors have reported that significant improvement in patients with osteoarthritis who were taking CM. In 1996, in a one-month multi-center clinical study involving 431 patients with various forms of arthritis, sixty-three percent (63%) of those taking CM showed improvement compared to fourteen percent (14%) in the control group. CM is typically taken orally in the form of an oil.
Konjac flour is a soluble dietary fiber that is similar in structure and function to pectin and typically is used as a thickener, emulsifier, gelling agent, film former and stabilizer. Glucomannan, the main constituent of Konjac flour, is a slightly branched hydrocolloidal polysaccharide having B1-4 linked subunits of glucose and mannose and having a molecular weight ranging between 200,000 and 2,000,000 daltons. Acetyl groups, located every 9-19 subunits along the glucomannan backbone, help solubilize the molecule. In addition to being a food agent, glucomannan has been tested on humans, principally as a means for lowering serum cholesterol, bile acid level and serum triglyceride. Studies indicate that glucomannan may affect glucose tolerance and glucose absorption.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana bectoni) is a natural, non-caloric sweet-tasting plant that is typically used in medical applications for inhibiting fat absorption and for lowering blood pressure as well as in the food industry as a non-caloric sweetening agent. Stevioside is the component of Stevia that gives the plant its sweetness. As a sugar substitute, it is available as a concentrated liquid, crushed leaf, or concentrated white powder. Often, individuals who do not tolerate sugar or other sweeteners can use Stevia. Medicinally, studies indicate that Stevia helps regulate the pancreas and may help stabilize blood sugar levels within the body. Stevia is also indicated as a cardiotonic, for obesity, to reduce stomach acidity, to reduce gas, for hypotension and to help lower uric acid levels. Research has also indicated that Stevia may help reduce bacteria.
While carbohydrates, proteins and fats are all important in the human diet, carbohydrates are particularly important for athletic performance. Carbohydrates are a well-known source of energy which are readily absorbed by the body. For example, marathon runners and other athletes typically xe2x80x9ccarbo-loadxe2x80x9d the day before a race by eating large amounts of carbohydrates. Moreover, athletes in endurance events need a source of energy which is readily absorbable by the body in order to replace the diminishing stores of glucose and glycogen that occur during the event. Lastly, athletes typically consume large quantities of carbohydrates immediately following a race in order to replenish glycogen levels depleted by the event. Thus, the energy source provided by carbohydrates is important to athletes before, during, and after the race.
Typically, carbohydrates range between complex carbohydrates and simple sugars. Structurally, these carbohydrates differ in the number of sugars in the molecule and in the degree of branching. Functionally, they differ by how readily the body can absorb them and process them to derive energy. Thus, the correct ratio of the different types of carbohydrates can supply short-term, mid-term, and long-term supplies of energy to the body.
During athletic events, particularly endurance events such as marathon running, triathalons and long distance cycling, athletes can deplete much, if not all, of their glycogen stores. It is therefore important that athletes replenish their depleted stores of glycogen from a source of carbohydrates. Typically, the cellular machinery used to convert glucose to glycogen is most efficient in the several hours immediately following the athletic event, the so-called recovery period. In addition to depleting their glycogen stores, athletes can cause temporary, and sometimes permanent, damage to the joints of their bodies. Typically, they experience this damage as pain and stiffness in their joints. In some forms, the present invention provides a quality source of carbohydrates, which is important during the recovery period. The invention also provide supplements for the carbohydrate source. In accordance with the invention, the supplements include one or more cartilage supplements which also aid in recovery by reducing joint pain and stiffness, and/or Konjac flour and/or Stevia supplements. The supplements are provided alone or in combination with CM.
It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a formula which provides a nutritional snack-together with cartilage supplements which address cartilage dysfunction, and/or a Konjac flour supplement and/or a Stevia supplement.
It is another object of the invention to provide a formula which provides a nutritional snack together with cartilage supplements which address cartilage dysfunction, and/or a Konjac flour supplement and/or a Stevia supplement, in combination with CM.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a nutritional snack which aids athletes in recovering from athletic events.
Another object of the invention to provide a formula for a beverage including one or more cartilage supplements which address cartilage dysfunction.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a beverage that is source of quality carbohydrates and one or more cartilage supplements.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of preparing a beverage containing one or more cartilage supplements.
The present invention provides a food supplement, for human and/or animal consumption and methods for making such food supplements. The food supplement can be either in the form of a beverage or a snack bar, or preparation for making such beverages or snack bars. The food supplement of the present invention is fortified with one or more cartilage supplements including glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. The food supplements of the invention may also be fortified with Konjac flour and/or Stevia supplements either alone or in combination with the cartilage supplements. The food supplement, as disclosed by the invention, can be optionally further fortified with cetyl myristoleate (CM).
In one preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a high protein, nutritional snack bar that is fortified with one or more cartilage, Konjac flour and/or Stevia supplements, and which can also be fortified with CM. The snack bar has pleasing textural and taste characteristics. In another preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a beverage which is fortified with one or more cartilage, Konjac flour and/or Stevia supplements, and which can be additionally fortified with CM.
All of the compounds used to fortify the food supplement, according to the present invention, are safe for human consumption. Moreover, in addition to the cartilage supplement, any salt, counter ion or derivative of the supplement which is safe for human consumption, and preferably dissociates to the cartilage supplement, either in water or after ingestion, is suitable for use in the present invention. Suitable cartilage supplements are hyaluronic acid, chondroitin, and preferably glucosamine. For chondroitin, sulfate is the preferred counter ion. Where the cartilage supplement is glucosamine, suitable derivatives include but are not limited to, glucosamine n-alkyl sulfonate, and n-acetyl glucosamine. Preferable counter ions for glucosamine include, but are not limited to, phosphoric, sulfate, and, most preferably, hydrochloride. Glucosamine hydrochloride provides improved taste to the nutritional supplements, and thereby minimizes the need for flavorings used to mask the strong flavors characteristic of other cartilage supplements.
In one preferred embodiment, the food supplement containing the cartilage, Konjac flour and/or Stevia supplements, alone or in combination with CM, is a nutritional snack bar. The process of preparing the snack bar, according to the present invention, comprises melting a confectioner""s material, which is a solid at ambient temperature. The melted confectioner""s material is admixed with the major liquid ingredients and with the major and minor dry ingredients. If the snack bar, according to the present invention, is to be fortified with CM, the CM is first admixed with the major liquid ingredients. Admixing the minor dry compounds with the major liquid ingredients prior to admixing with the confectioner""s material minimizes localized concentrations of dry ingredients.
The above mixture is extruded in an extruder typical of extruders known to those skilled in the art. The extruded material or extrudate is then cut to a desired size. The snack bar can be coated on the surface with a melted confectioner""s coating material and/or a topping to enhance taste and visual appeal.
In another preferred embodiment, the above-referenced snack bar is modified to include one or more reservoirs, each reservoir containing cartilage, Konjac flour and/or Stevia supplements or mixtures of two or more of such supplements. Within each reservoir, the supplements can be further combined with CM. By way of example, the snack bar can contain a substance such as chocolate or carob, which is molded with one or more internal void regions or reservoirs.
In another preferred embodiment, the cartilage, supplements and/or Konjac flour and/or Stevia supplements and/or the CM are provided in the form of a beverage. Beverages suitable for use in the present invention include naturally or artificially flavored fruit juices, commercially available sports drinks such as GATORADE(trademark) and POWERADE(trademark) beverages, and commercially available nutritionally-balanced beverages such as ENSURE(trademark) beverage.
In a preferred method of making beverages of the invention, a xe2x80x9ccold mixxe2x80x9d process is used. Pursuant to that process, in a preferred form as noted above, the juice drink base is most preferably a fruit flavored juice. However, the juice drink base could alternatively be unflavored water.
A beverage for human or animal consumption is made from a mixture of a juice drink base and a cartilage supplement-containing solution. The juice drink base is a water-based solution, and is preferably a flavored (and most preferably a naturally or artificially fruit-flavored) juice. In one embodiment, the juice drink base is prepared using a pasteurization process at a relatively high temperature. The high temperature is naturally or artificially sufficient to kill bacteria. The cartilage supplement-containing solution is a water-based solution containing one or more cartilage supplements (such as glucoscimine, chondroitin, hyalauronic acid, or mixtures thereof) prepared at a relatively low temperature. Preferably, the low temperature is in a range that minimizes inactivation of the cartilage supplement. The beverage may be carbonated or non-carbonated; furthermore, the beverage can be in a concentrated form for later dilution by the consumer or ready to drink.
In yet another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of treating cartilage dysfunction in a human by administering a cartilage enhancing beverage formulated according to the above aspects of invention.